Army stormed meeting of militants in Shopian

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 2

The killing of 13 militants in the Kashmir Valley in one night was unusual but it came as ultras had gathered at one spot to hold a “planning conference.” The Army used good ground-based information and technology to bust such a big group of armed militants.

Sources here said the encounter at Draggad village in Shopian district was the biggest as it led to the death of seven militants. The militants were to hold the “planning conference” to chalk out their strategy for the summer ahead at a house in the village. Usually, militants hold such meetings ahead of the Durbar move when J&K’s summer capital is shifted to Srinagar and as the snow melt season starts.

A tip-off about the meeting had come as one of the terrorists was being tracked through human intelligence sources and technical means. The 44 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) of the Army had narrowed down their location to eight to nine houses in the village. These were surrounded. At first, two militants jumped out of a house but they were shot dead by the Army. Five other militants fired back but they were soon outgunned. The number of militants was unusual as they never move in a group bigger than four. In this case the youth belonged to the Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Toiba. Some of them had only recently joined militancy.

The other encounter occurred just 20 km away at Kachdoora village in the same district where the Army lost three of its men from the 34 RR on initial contact. The location was narrowed down to three to four houses. It was difficult as this required the evacuation of 13 civilians, including two children, said the sources. The third encounter was at Peth Dialgam in southern part of Anantnag district in which the three more militants were killed. The sources said the killing of 13 militants was big number for a single day. But it does imply that militants will change tactics and not move in bigger groups.

'Accurate information'  

• The killings came due to good ground-based information and use of technology that was employed to track militants

• Militants hold "planning meetings" ahead of the Durbar move and as the snow melt season starts

• The number of militants was unusual as they never move in a group bigger than four. In this case, some of them had only recently joined militancy